WELLINGTON — Gentle chugs of a steam engine and the toot of a whistle alerted families near Wellington to the presence of The Leviathan.
A reproduction of an 1865 steam engine completed five years ago, The Leviathan required 10 years to build by owner Dave Kloke, Elgin, Ill., who has a background in large construction equipment.
“It’s just a passion,” Kloke said. “I like big mechanical things. I’m a gearhead. I’m more interested in (President Abraham) Lincoln. I saw it on a train documentary about Lincoln.”
Kloke’s Leviathan was patterned from two steam engines at Promontory Ridge, Utah, he said. The original was one of four engines that ran on the Central Pacific Railroad, he said.
“I like the style on 4-4-0,” Kloke said. “That’s the wheel arrangement. It’s called an American wheel arrangement, 4-4-0. And 63 was the original number of The Leviathan, so our website is Leviathan63.com.
“They don’t know what happened to the original Leviathan,” Kloke said. “Nobody thought about history back then. This is mostly for the education about how the railroad would have been in 1869.”
One of the people who helped provide parts for The Leviathan stayed on as a member of the crew.
“It’s a big toy. It’s a hobby,” said Fred Haberkamp, who owns two metal spinning businesses in Chicago and a collection of model trains. “I have all kinds of different scales at home. I’m building one at home a little smaller than this, but a steam engine.”
As fireman on the crew of The Leviathan, Haberkamp watches the steam pressure to maintain about 150 pounds of pressure with a fuel oil fire, he said. At 158 pounds, the safety valves blow.
“Once we start moving, I’m busy,” Haberkamp said.
On April 18-20, The Leviathan provided rides to visitors from a train station of the Lakeshore Railway Association on Route 18 West of Wellington.
The 1850s station sat in Oberlin until the 1990s when the group moved it to the current location, said Jack Siffert, president of Lakeshore Railway Association in Elyria.
“This is the first time we’ve brought Leviathan here,” Siffert said. “This is the first time it’s run in Ohio.”
Siffert also serves as president of Ohio Locomotive Works.
“We build environmentally friendly locomotives known as the lean and green locomotives in the old Ford plant in Lorain,” said Siffert, an Elyria High School graduate.
“When I was 14 I went to a railroad club meeting at the Lorain County Historical Society, and I’ve been here since the beginning of this organization in 1978.
“I’ve had a lifelong fascination with railroads, mechanical things, and how things work. I think it’s in my DNA,” Siffert said. “I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. It’s a passion that for some reason interests me.”
Kloke trucked the steam engine and car to Wellington to run on a 2˝ mile track, Haberkamp said. Once it pulls its passengers to the end, the engine backs up the entire way to the starting point.
“We’re limited to 25 mph, maximum,” Haberkamp said. “But they have a speed limit in the yard of five to 10 mph.”
Passengers for a run at noon lined up by 11:30 a.m. on Sunday.
“It’s cool to see history from back whenever this was built,” said Bryce Hornbeck, 11, of Chatham.
“I’ve never really seen anything like this in my life,” said Bryce’s brother, Tristan Hornbeck, 17, a junior at Black River High School, who hopes to join the United States Marines someday. “Just seeing it, it’s really cool.”
Filling in as engineer on Sunday, Ray Kammer, 32, of Akron, also works as director of operations for the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad in Cleveland.
“My father has owned steam locomotives,” Kammer said. “I’ve been around them my whole life. I do this for love of the hobby.”
Lauren Siffert, Jack Siffert’s daughter, filled in as a volunteer wherever needed.
“I show horses,” Lauren said, “but I decided to help my dad out this weekend, because he supports me in what I want to do.”
Tom and Kathy Root, of Grafton, in their 60s, lined up for a ride because of their interest in trains and President Lincoln.
“A friend of ours is a real enthusiast,” Tom Root said. “He’s a member of the club and he’s been talking about this.”
“I’ve always wanted to ride the train that goes across Canada,” Kathy Root said. “Maybe someday I’ll ride that one.”
Another passenger, Scott Cameron, 48, works as a lead on ramp ground baggage handling for United Airlines in Cleveland. He also volunteers on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.
“It’s definitely in the blood,” Cameron said. “When I was little, my uncle was a dispatcher for the B&O Railroad in Newton Falls. My family would visit. We would go into the tower with him. That was in the ‘70s. They still had telegraph keys.”
Steve Zigo, 64, lined up “for the thrill of riding on a steam engine.”
Last fall Zigo, his daughter, Vanessa Tharp, and granddaughters ages 4 years and 8 months rode the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic together.
“What better way to get enthusiasts than when they’re young,” Zigo said. “Of course, it’s a great family experience.”

Video: Firefighter Fred Haberkamp speaks about his role with The Leviathan.